UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

THE UNDER SECRETARY

July 1, 2003

The Honorable Patricia Hamamoto

Superintendent
Hawaii Department of Education
P.O. Box 2360
Honolulu, Hawaii 96804

Dear Superintendent Hamamoto:

I am writing to follow up on Secretary Paige’s letter of May 28, 2003, in which he

approved the basic elements of Hawaii’s state accountability plan under Title I of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left
Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). I join Secretary Paige in congratulating you on Hawaii’s
commitment to holding schools accountable for the achievement of all students.

I appreciate Hawaii’s efforts to meet the Title I requirements and your responsiveness to
making changes as a result of the external peer review of Hawaii’s accountability plan.
In consideration of these changes, Hawaii’s accountability plan is fully approved

We agree with the concern you stated in your accountability workbook about providing
adequate yearly progress determinations before the beginning of the academic school
year due to the large number of schools operating under modified school calendars. We
will be in touch with you to discuss this issue further.

Hawaii is operating under a timeline waiver of certain assessment requirements under the
Improving America’s Schools Act that impacts Hawaii’s accountability plan. Approval of
Hawaii’s accountability system is not also an approval of Hawaii’s standards and
assessment system. As Hawaii completes the requirements of its timeline waiver, it will
need to document that the conditions of that waiver have been met and submit that
documentation to the Department for peer review through the standards and assessment
process. Further, as Hawaii makes changes in its standards and assessments to meet
NCLB requirements, Hawaii must likewise submit information about those changes to
the Department for peer review through the standards and assessment process.

As required by section 1111(b)(2) of Title I, Hawaii must implement its accountability

plan during this school year to identify schools and school districts in need of
improvement and to implement section 1116 of Title I for the 2003-04 school year,
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including arranging for public school choice and supplemental educational services. If,
over time, Hawaii makes changes to the accountability plan that you have presented for
approval, you must submit information about those changes to the Department for
approval, as required by section 1111(f)(2) of Title I.

Please also be aware that approval of Hawaii’s accountability plan for Title I does not
indicate that the plan complies with Federal civil rights requirements, including Title VI
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and
requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

I am confident that Hawaii will continue to advance its efforts to hold schools and school
districts accountable for the achievement of all students. I wish you well in your efforts
to leave no child behind.

Sincerely,

/s/

Eugene W. Hickok

cc: Governor Linda Lingle